Photo of Sainte Foy chalet build from a little while back in the snow.

We’re moving ahead with the woodwork and stonework now that the snow has gone, and installing the jacuzzi and air-source heat pumps. Inside, we’ve been working on the cupboards, staircases, tiling and plastering.

Some photos from recent ski touring day with Rob and Lesley on Col du Montet at the back of Val d’Isère.

Also some photos of the large chalet we’re building on the edge of Sainte Foy. We got the roof on just in time before Christmas and we’re on schedule to get it finished by the end of the Summer.

Snow and ski conditions have been good lately and it’s gradually warming up a bit after a bitter cold spell. I had days in the last week or two when it was -25°C, with wind chill and high humidity making it even parkier out on the slopes.

We’ve now finished up on Chalet Kanjiroba, a big renovation project in La Daille. It will be run by chalet operators Le Ski from this season as a catered chalet. The photos below were taken by Vanessa Fry (click on any of the photos below for sliding gallery).

Chalet Kanjiroba is a part of one of the oldest buildings in Val d’Isère and presented quite a few challenges. To preserve the original style of the chalet, we had to work with rooms that were tall and thin, with unusual shapes in places.

There was also a lot of structural work and we had to create spaces in some of the original walls which are over a metre-and-a-half thick. We did the project in two parts, with a complete rebuild at the front and renovation in the back half.

For the oak flooring, we used recovered wood from old buildings to maintain the rustic feel.

Supporting Sam at the British Championships in Tignes today. He’s started out pretty well but the events have been hampered by horrendous weather – rain and very high winds.

Emily won the Under 21s British Downhill event last week in Tignes and came 20th in the recent French event, racing with the seniors.

Some of the family from the UK are out with us at the moment, whilst Lesley is back in the UK. Fortunately, my brother is a bit of a masterchef on the quiet so we haven’t had to resort to eating chips and snow. So far.

Busy as usual with projects, so have only managed to snatch a few skinning outings. Also done a bit of cycling but it’s been peeing with rain every time so far.

Very busy few weeks with offers coming in for both Chalets Soldanelle and Chardonneret, which we have accepted. We’re also full on with new building projects and enquiries for potential work.

Got a bit of skiing in today in beautiful sunny weather. Unfortunately, it was blowing an absolute hooley yesterday which wasn’t great for the snow conditions today, but the recent snowfall is keeping us going.

With skiing a total write-off, I was getting a bit fed up in the lead in to Christmas so decided that if the snow wasn’t going to come to me I would go to it.

Got on my motorbike on Xmas Eve with skis strapped to my back and rode up as high as possible and then skinned up to ski on the glacier above Sainte Foy. Quite a good outing as it turned out and my first ski of the season – horrendously late.

Went out with the kids on motorbikes for a decent ride on Christmas Day – shot below is one of the very bare pistes in La Rosiere.

And then, mercifully, the snow came. About 30cm. It’s stayed cold so the snow has hung around but it’s getting a little bare on the lower slopes.

Last pic below is of Emily in a GS race for Tignes in Val Thorens – click pics to see full gallery.

Bike ride last Saturday to Moutiers and back was probably the last one of the season.

Kids have been going pretty hard on the ski training and poor Emily broke her nose slalom training – the gates are pretty bendy at the top but don’t have a lot of give if you face-plant into the base of one. Two black eyes and daily selfies to record the rainbow of skin-colour changes.

First ski race was meant to be yesterday but heavy snow, bad visibility and high winds put paid to that one, unfortunately.

Both our kids had a week off from studies the week before last for ski training on the Tignes glacier. This week is half term and Sam is off for another week’s training with the Sainte Foy ski team to, erm, Holland. Yes, that’s right, a twelve-hour coach journey from the Alps to the flattest country in Europe for ski training, but it will be in a large indoor centre and it will at least have the guaranteed snow that they were looking for.